There is something the Doctor forgot to do. Now he attempts to make it up.
Setting: After Torchwood's "Children of Earth" and somwehre around "The Day of the Doctor", but no big spoilers for Doctor Who.
Disclaimer: Neither characters nor the show belong to me but to their rightful owner.
Jack sat in the dark at a bar he wasn't supposed to be in. Not at this time of the day, not when the owner wasn't aware of him being here drinking a fair amount of whiskey. His alcohol tolerance was very high nowadays so he was only slightly buzzed, but he intended to change that. Ianto wouldn't approve of this, of all of this. Jack could almost see the look he would shoot him. Almost. It seemed blurred. It might be the alcohol and him being tired, but inside him crept up another fear. He swore to his love that he would never forget him. And now only a few years later...he took a gulp of the amber liquid, willing the burning to chase the fear away, better yet, all feelings. Feelings just hurt too much.
It seemed to work because when the whirring sound he longed to hear for centuries, came to his ear he couldn't even bring himself to feel excited. So he didn't move from where he sat and refilled his glass instead.
When the door opened he only cared for a look into the bar mirror long enough to see, that this was a different man then the both he already got to know. Bowtie. Well he prefered a tie. Just like the ones Ianto wore...
„Hey...Jack", said the Doctor. Who else would it be? He rubbed his hands together, not feeling very comfortable. His happiness was put on. „How about an adventure? You know, just like in the old times. As a christmas present."
Jack rolled his eyes. „It's not christmas, Doctor. Try to get the date right next time."
„Well somewhere it is christmas. Or rather sometime. So, fancy a ride?"
Jack threw back his drink and turned around. „Where were you when we needed you? When he needed you? You think you can hook me up with some random guy in a bar and everything's forgotten? He died trying to save earth from an alien race that wanted to use our children as their drugs. WHERE. WERE. YOU?"
The Doctor twisted his hands looking up at Jack from under his eyelashes. „Well, it's kinda hard to be all over the universe at the same time, you know Jack, all the problems hitting the right point in time, the TARDIS bringing me somewhere else, you being an impossibility. I know...I know this are no good reasons", he said, before Jack could burst again. „And I am truly sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I didn't save him. But let me show you something, yeah? Let me at least try..."
Jack bit his lower lip, his eyes hard. Then he grabbed the almost empty bottle whiskey and walked up to the TARDIS.
„Just because I have nothing better to do.", he murmured, entering the blue box. She looked different, darker, more modern. He prefered the amber from before, from the last Doctor. Know what? Fuck it, he prefered his first Doctor in everything he was and did. And looked. Except for leaving him on this satelite but everyone made mistakes, didn't they?
Still he couldn't help but stroke the TARDIS' controls when he entered. It was like seeing an old friend again, one he didn't have a grudge against. He stopped dead as he saw a young lady standing next to the console. Long dark hair, sweet face. „Oh", he said. Somehow he didn't expect this. Of course the Doctor would have a new companion. Someone new, young, female. Someone he could show the stars and the most dangerous places in this and other universes. Not really surprising.
„Hello", she said. „I'm Clara."
Jack said nothing trying to find out why he was a little bit disappointed not to meet the Doctor alone, when he really has never been alone when meeting Jack. Well except for that night at the bar but, well, that didn't qualify as a meeting, did it?
„This is Jack, Clara", said the Doctor, abuzz again, trying to overplay his being fazed at the lack of Jack's...usual response to women, or men...or just about everything. This version seemed to be excited all the time, Many years ago Jack would probably have appreciated that but now...he didn't knew what to make out of this figure with the too big chin. „An old, very old friend of mine and my favourite immortal. So Jack, how old are you? You might be even older than me but I, too, lived through some years."
„You want me to count the 2000 years I was buried under Cardiff and frozen in Torchwoods morgue?"
„Okay, okay, age is not a good subject. Then lets start our journey.", the Doctor said, fiddling with the controls of the ship. Clara wasn't really sure what to make of the Doctor's „friend" who didn't seem so freindly at all and hardly the man the Doctor described to her. The bottle of whiskey didn't add much positive to her impression. Once again she hoped the Doctor knew what he was doing.
„Okay, where do we wanna go. Ah, yeah that date should be quite alright.", The Doctor muttered to himself and the yanked the lever down, the TARDIS dematerializing and lurching through time and space.
When the landed and the Doctor stepped outside it was a sunny day but they were still in London. Jack was hardly impressed considering his other adventures with this man. Was it even this man? But he seemed utterly contend with himself as if he just achieved something great. „The perfect day. Oh and it's even the right time. You are wonderful." He patted the TARDIS' blue exterior.
„Doctor. We are in London.", Jack said a little grumpy. „Hardly worth a christmas present, is it?"
But the Doctor just slid behind Jack, laying his hands on the great-coat-clad shoulders. Tsill the one Ianto gave him. „Just wait...here he comes", the Doctor said, pointing down the street that was lined with little shops and cafés.
Jack new why the Doctor brought him here the moment he saw the young man in his flawless suit, a black briefcase in his hand. He walked up the street, heading to a café of his choice. Probably not just any café but the one with the best coffee in London, if Jack new him just a bit.
„Ianto", he whispered and couldn't stop his eyes from tearing up.
The Doctor watched his friend with warm eyes.
„What year ist it?", Jack aske, his voice broken.
„2006. One year before the battle of Canary Wharf. He works as a researcher for Torchwood One."
„He's so..." Alive. „...young."
„Yeah. You know you can't speak to him right? Timelines and stuff", the Doctor warned. Jack swallowed but nodded. „But you can look at him for a while, if you want to. It might be little creepy but considering the circumstances I guess it's okay...He's going to spend some time there, drinking coffee. Come on Clara, we have...souvenirs to find, ice-cream to eat." They wandered of and when Clara turned around she could see Jack standing there in the sun, tears running slowly over his cheeks. She wondered what the story behind all of this was. It looked like a story of finding love and loosing love. Definitely a story with tears. „Doctor, who are these two?"
„Ah, that's a really long story. You heard Jack. 2000 years and that wasn't even the fun part", the Doctor quipped back. Clara waited but he didn't go further. Probably it wasn't his story to tell.
They came back a while later, ice-cream in their hands to see that Jack wasn't were he stood before. Instead, the Doctor spotted him striding towards the café where his not-yet-boyfriend was seated. „Oh, Jack, nooo...", he exclaimed wondering what paradox he would have to solve now. Why could never anyone do as they were told. Was it really his face?
„He traveled with you before, didn't he?", asked Clara. „He looks like he knows what he's doing."
„Maybe...if not we might have a case of serious changed future. Hell, he could even change my future", the Doctor said, thinking a short moment of Rose. But that was the way the story went and in the end it was good the way it turned out.
Before Jack approched the table Ianto sat at, he adjusted his coat and checked his reflection in a window, making sure it wasn't to obvious that he shed a few tears. The Doctor said no about talking to Ianto but Jack had even talked to his original self. He knew how to deal with those things carefully.
„Hey Gorgeous", he greeted Ianto, his voice not as happy and flirty as he hoped it would sound. Instead a little rasp from the emotions and yeah, also the alcohol, even if the effect was long gone. „Mh, Torchwood, right?" He sat down in front of Ianto without really asking for permission. He wouldn't have much time till the Doctor came back and he wasn't going to be rejected here. Even if Ianto didn't knew about his feelings yet.
„How do you know about that?", the welsh boy asked, stopping half way to his coffee.
„Don't be alarmed, I won't tell on your secret. I lead Torchwood Three, Cardiff. Jack Harkness." He winked and held out his hand. Ianto shook it and Jack had to restain every urge to either sob right there as their warm skin touched or fling himself at Ianto to ravish him. Both would make a not so good first impression.
„So, you like it here? Got some big projects coming?"
„Yeah." Ianto seemed a little bit uncomfortable with the stranger who acted like they knew each other. Jack bit his lip. That's what you got from time traveling. It could never reach up to the real experience.
„You know, we could use some good guys in Cardiff.", Jack said and put on a smirk. „So if you ever change your mind about London...gimme a call." He winked, stood up and forced himself to tear his gaze aways from this familiar eyes. Then he left, leaving a rather dumbfounded Ianto behind who would be even more confused when he would appear on Torchwood Three's doorstep a year later and Jack Harkness would refuse to take him into the team, leaving him to beg for weeks.
The Doctor and his companion waited for Jack in front of the TARDIS. The grief was clear on his face. Clara squezed Jack's arm and that suprised him but he closed his eyes for a moment nevertheless, feeling her support running through him, even if she knew nothing about the details of all of this. Lost love, and the way it looked, probably through death, was all she needed to know to fell sympathy for this man.
Silent they entered the TARDIS.
Only when the Doctor begann to set a time and place to take Jack home, the 51st-century man spoke again. „Take me with you Doc, please. There's nothing for me on earth. Torchwood Three doesn't exist any more with half of the team dead and the remaining member reluctant to ever touch anything again that has government or aliens written on it. Take me with you, show me the stars, show me the beauty of the universe that I can't see anymore."
The Doctor had a pained expression on his face, his eyes crunched together for a moment. „I can't Jack."
„So you think you can just show up after years just to vanish again? Like the last time? Do you enjoy leaving me behind that much, Doctor?" Would he have to go through this every time they met?
„No, no, no, don't say that, Jack. Of course I don't", the Doctor hurried to say, a hurt look in his eyes. „It's just...I've got no time left, Jack. Theres something coming and I don't know what it is...but I'm afaight it could be the end of me."
„Then let me fight beside you. You know I would die for you again and again. It wouldn't be the first time."
„No, Jack. I'm bringing you home."
Jack accepted when he was not wanted. So when the TARDIS stilled, he pulled the Doctor into a hug and whispered: „You're a great man."
He kissed Clara's hand on his way out. „Take care of him, will you?" She nodded. Little did he know about how often she had saved the Doctors live. She wouldn't stop now.
On his way out, Jack turned around and offered one last salute. Then he left the TARDIS. It was night. It was probably London, at least it felt like that. He had no idea what time it was, but that wasn't important, was it?
He watched until the TARDIS disappeared into the night, leaving an empty spot behind, even more so in Jack's heart. Could this really be their last goodbye? Jack hoped it wasn't. Suddenly the idea of being left again and again by the Doctor seemed inviting. It would mean that he got to meet him again. The Doctor would find a way, he always did. And maybe one day, Jack would see him again. Also there was always the chance of meeting the other versions he knew. After the leather jacket the Doctors fashion sense really went down.